CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Metropolitan Planning Organization's Regional Traffic Safety Task Force met on the second floor of the CCRTA building Wednesday morning to discuss the topic of stopping wrong-way drivers.
Portland Police Chief Mark Cory credited DPS troopers for their efforts in working round-the-clock to stop drunk drivers and those driving the wrong-way over the Harbor Bridge.
"We here in Portland have had no wrong way drivers since they implemented their task force,” he said.
DPS Cpt. Gary McMillian said both his department and Portland Police have been successful at getting drunk drivers off the bridge and the causeway.
"I think between the two of us, we have probably arrested in the last two months about 100 DWIs on the causeway on or about the causeway,” he said.
McMillian said that after this strategy session, he was heading to another meeting with TABC and local bar owners about the continuing problem of bars over-serving alcohol.
"TABC has been doing a good job looking at bars downtown that are over serving their customers as well," he said. "So, it’s been a comprehensive approach to the problem on the causeway and we’ve had I believe, we’ve caught two wrong way drivers. You know both intoxicated, both overserved in the bars.”
Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez said he was also impressed by what he heard during the meeting.
"I heard a lot of good things in this meeting. A lot of success stories, you know, over 5000 stops by DPS alone and within those stops 48 DWI arrests countless arrest for narcotics, so they are out there doing their job," he said.
Gonzalez also pointed out that while the problem does begin in the bars, it will end with his office as he promises to continue to prosecute drunk drivers and those who over serve them.
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